Onslaught: Power from Hell (1985)

Onslaught has had a lot of different styles over the years.  Starting out life as a hardcore punk band, they later morphed into Slayer-like thrash metal band, then going in a more progressive thrash direction when Grim Reaper legend Steve Grimmett briefly joined the band.  They then split up and re-formed a few years later with Sy Keeler back behind the mic. 

During this time period, Onslaught released a number of should-be classic metal albums, yet remained very much in the underground, rarely capturing much attention.  This is a shame because Onslaught is probably one of the best thrash metal bands from England, ever.  I would put them behind only Sabbat, and a little ahead of Xentrix.

This album is Onslaught's debut, and the band is firmly in the thrash metal portion of their career.  Blackened thrash is perhaps a decent description, fitting in well with the sounds of Bathory and Sodom at the time.  And the Show No Mercy Slayer-isms come through loud and clear as well.  The album is a fast-paced tour-de-force of rampaging riffs, pounding drums and gritty vocals.  And the album does a damn fine job of capturing an effectively evil atmosphere.  And again with that I must bring up the similarities to early Slayer. 

Onslaught is a criminally underrated band who has released a number of great albums over the years.  Their debut is one of those releases and should be held up as a classic of the fledgling thrash metal scene.  The fact that it is not is a damn shame.